Charleston, South Carolina (CNN) - Mark Sanford is living proof that life is full of second chances.

The former Republican governor of South Carolina, whose political career was left for dead along the Appalachian Trail after an extramarital affair, asked for, and Tuesday received, political redemption as he won a special election to fill a vacant House seat that he once occupied.

Washington (CNN) – Vice President Joe Biden praised U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice on the eve of congressional hearings over last year's deadly terror attack against a U.S. diplomatic compound in Libya - a controversy in which Rice found herself buried deep only days later.

Describing her as one of the “brightest, most accomplished” people he’s ever met, Biden said he’s never seen a U.S. ambassador to the U.N. “who has more ability to promote the interests of the United States of America.”FULL POST

Once considered a possible presidential candidate, Sanford left office at the end of his term having admitted to an extramarital affair and under a cloud of ethics violations. He represented the district for three terms before being elected governor.

Before the race, businesswoman Colbert Busch was best known as the sister of Stephen Colbert of Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report."

Washington (CNN) - A top Senate Democrat has offered a pair of amendments to an immigration reform bill bolstering rights for same-sex couples, a politically risky move that threatens to shatter Republican support for the sweeping legislation.

Vermont Sen. Patrick's Leahy's amendments would recognize same-sex marriages in which one spouse is an American, and also would allow U.S. citizens to sponsor foreign-born same-sex partners for green cards as long as there's proof of a committed relationship.

(CNN) - One woman still looking for answers about the September 11, 2012, attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, is Pat Smith. Her son Sean Smith, a State Department information officer, was one of four Americans killed during the attack.

"I blame her," said Smith, referring to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

New York (CNNMoney) - The annual deficit has fallen 32% over the first seven months of this fiscal year compared with same period last year, according to Congressional Budget Office figures released Tuesday.

CNN's GUT CHECK | for May 7, 2013 | 5 p.m.
– n. a pause to assess the state, progress or condition of the political news cycle

NOT A CAREER CHOICE: The weight loss surgery Gov. Chris Christie underwent in February was not a precursor to seeking higher office, the New Jersey Republican asserted Tuesday. Christie, speaking in public for the first time since his surgery was revealed, said the decision instead was based on his commitment to his family. “It's not a career issue for me. It is a long term health issue for me. And that is the basis upon which I made my decision,” Christie said, saying that “the steps I've taken are for me, and Mary Pat, and the kids.” – Kevin Liptak

TONIGHT: Voters in coastal South Carolina will decide tonight who will fill the vacant U.S. House seat in the state's 1st Congressional District. The two leading candidates on the ballot are former two-term Gov. Mark Sanford, who's seeking political redemption as he runs for the seat that he once held for six years, and Elizabeth Colbert Busch. – Jim Acosta, Matt Hoye and Paul Steinhauser

Washington (CNN) - First lady Michelle Obama's first book "American Grown" has been in print for nearly a year and Tuesday she held only her second book signing to date.

But she had a good excuse. "[I]f you recall, when the book came out we were in the middle of this campaign, or something or other. So we were a little busy," the first lady told a crowd of about 250 people packed inside a steamy Washington, DC book store.FULL POST

(CNN) – A report by the conservative Heritage Foundation criticizing the Senate "Gang of Eight" immigration reform plan for being too costly wasn't an accurate assessment of the bill, one of the Republican lawmakers authoring the measure said Tuesday.

The report, released Monday, takes particular issue with the Senate bill's pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants already living in the United States, saying such a route to legal status would cost taxpayers trillions.FULL POST